Nightmares
by No Pretence
Summary: Robin has troubled sleep, Marian cannot sleep at all, and Much wakes to discover that his role as comforter has been userped, and that Marian needs explainations. R/H


**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood.**

**Set somewhere in Series 2 between Episode 7: Show Me the Money and Episode 8: Get Carter!_  
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The night was still and warm, the kind that easily induces slumbers, yet Marian was unable to sleep.

She had been living in the forest for almost three weeks, and yet she still found it difficult to ignore the sounds of the world around her, unlike her companions, who had obviously learnt to grab sleep when they could.

As well as the sounds of the world around her preventing her from sleeping, the night brought Marian thoughts of her father. The grief for him was still a deep ache in her chest, and her thoughts always returned to him in her spare quiet moments. Marian tried to convince herself that her father would not mind that he was not always in her thoughts, or that she laughed and talked with the gang as though his death did not trouble her. Robin had told her that her father would want her to go on living as normally as possible, and they had spent many evenings talking, arguing about it, what was right and what Edward would have wanted. Robin had eased her through those first few painful days, with his support, understanding and gentle chiding, all necessary to the healing process, even though most of the time she had not wanted him there. Not wanted anyone to tell her they understood. That the pain would ease. That life would get better.

As if her thoughts had been read, Marian heard her name called out from across the camp.

"Marian." It was soft, barely a whisper, yet she heard it clearly as it came again.

"Robin?" Marian sat up in her bunk, and look through the darkness towards where he lay across the other side of the camp.

"Marian...Marian, no!" Robin let out an anguished cry, and it was clear to Marian that he was still asleep, wrapped in unpleasant dreams. She got up and made her way through the darkness to kneel at his bedside.

"Shh, shh, I'm here," she soothed, lifting a hand to brush his hair away from his brow as he twisted beneath the blankets, his face contorted with pain. There came another cry.

"No!"

Marian was aware of a stirring in the bunk next to Robin's, and turned her head towards it as Much sat up and let out a weary sigh. He looked through the gloom towards Robin, and started as he caught sight of Marian.

"Oh! Lady Marian. Did he wake you?"

Marian smiled slightly at Much's concern, though he could not see it through the dark. "No. It is fine, Much."

Much sighed, as though he thought otherwise, and then said: "It will help, you being here."

"Does he do this often?"

"Dream of the war?" Much gave a soft, humourless laugh. "All the time. We both do."

Marian was suddenly aware that there was a lot more to the man sat next to her than met the eye.

"Robin has never... before tonight I had never..."

"Your being here has helped him. He has been more at peace these last few weeks, though even you cannot keep the nightmares away forever, Lady Marian."

"Marian!" Robin cried out softly again, and she smoothed her fingers over his hair once more.

"Hush, my love, Marian is here. I'm here."

The sound of her speaking her own name seemed to calm the sleeping man before them, and he whispered her name more tenderly this time, and let out a contented sigh.

Marian continued to brush his forehead, and turned her attention back to Much.

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"The war. The crusades."

"It is not fit for your ears, my Lady."

"Much. Please."

"If he knew..." Much cast a worried glance at his master.

"He does not have to know. He will not know."

"They were hard... and bloody... and dangerous. We fought hard, he fought hard... There were...there were occasions...well, we are lucky to have our lives. But others weren't. Others died. We...there are reasons why Robin does not like to kill."

Marian looked between the two men before her, who had fought and killed, been wounded and bloodied, and yet returned alive, almost unable to believe it.

"Robin was wounded...you returned..."

"Yes. The king ordered us home and ordered Robin to rest and heal. He was ill, very ill, for a long, long time. Delirious. "

"Is that... he calls my name in his sleep."

"Yes. You... you were his guiding light...he talked so much about returning home to you, or resigning himself to returning to find you a married woman. There were times when he was more afraid of that than battle, I think."

Marian stared for a moment, and then gazed at Robin in disbelief. It had taken years to admit that he loved her, and all those moments when she'd doubted him while he was away had been for nothing, she saw now.

The silence stretched, and the two awakened gang members watched the sky grow lighter and lighter as dawn arrived.

"He never speaks of it," Marian said at length.

"Not to you? Of all people, I would have thought he would have spoken to you."

"Only briefly, and only when it has been necessary."

"To me neither. Though there are times when I wish he would."

Much seemed to realise what he had said, and shook himself. "I'm sorry, Lady Marian. I should not speak out of turn. Anyway," He got to his feet and moved away towards the fire "Breakfast will not prepare itself."

./.

It was a short while later when Robin awoke to find Marian and Much the only ones up.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Robin." Marian smiled up at him, and he kissed her quickly before settling himself beside her. The smile obviously did not reach her eyes though, as Robin asked:

"What's wrong Marian? You look troubled."

Marian tried to smile again. "It is nothing. I have been speaking to Much this morning."

"Oh? What about?"

Marian gave him a pointed look.

"Nightmares, love."

**A/N: Just something that came to me. I wondered what would happen if Much, used to comforting Robin, woke to find Marian already there, and the conversation that may have followed. I hope you like it.**


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